Reverie's War
by Shania Nowhere
Summary: Vic is hiding a very dark secret that up until now has remained unknown by most of the world: his true identity. But after an absentminded girl blunders upon it, can he keep hiding or will he have to face his fate sooner than expected?
1. Chapter 1

Reverie's War

By: Shania Nowhere

Author's Note: I don't own Full Metal Alchemist, dearest Hiromi does and she did a wonderful job creating the series. I'm just posing a "what if" that sort of answers the question of "what happens after Ed and Al come to our world?" I don't own any of the characters except Ginny, Drew, and Dogma. Don't sue me!

Chapter 1: Meeting

It was a normal convention full of the usual crowd of attendees and cosplayers, milling about and making their way to panels and meet-ups. One lone girl in particular wasn't so much looking for a friend but the bathroom, desperately running blindly through the crowd in search of the almighty "women's" sign. Running up to a bathroom, she found a sign clearly posted over the door "out of order" and let out a painful moan as she danced and looked around frantically.

"Oh maaaaaan, I shouldn't have had that Double Gulp! EXCUSE MEEEEEEEE!" She wailed as she took off down the hallway seeking out an alternative. Finally, she saw what looked to be her salvation – another bathroom. Quickly and without giving it another thought, she forced the door open and a few seconds later felt her face hit a metal pole in the middle of the hallway. Falling backwards, she sprawled out indignantly and began to cry out in pain as her nose bled from the impact.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright?!" A soft but greatly concerned voice broke through her sobbing and caused her to look up in curiosity. Stooped over her and looking deeply concerned was Vic Mignogna, his hair a little tousled from the collision.

"Nooo, by nose is brogen!" She whimpered in a stuffed up voice, the blood making it difficult to pronounce things properly.

"It doesn't look broken, sweetie. Here, let me help you up and get you cleaned off." Vic picked her up and led her into the bathroom to the sinks where he wet a paper towel and dabbed at her nose. Finally removing the traces of her nosebleed and plugging the source, she mumbled, "Dank you, Bic."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. What were you doing running in here anyway? This is for men!" His expression had softened into a gentle smile as he found a bit of humor in the situation.

"I really 'ad do go a'd de girl's room down de hall was glosed so I saw dis one a'd dought id was anoder girl's room…" She babbled before staring blankly at his face.

"I see…what is it?"

"…your eye." She pointed and he turned to look into the mirror. Sure enough, his left eye no longer matched his normal hazel color. Instead, it was a shimmering golden hue, shining brightly under the bathroom lighting.

"Crap." Was all that Vic muttered before falling silent for a second as if thinking. Letting out a laugh, he said, "Surprise! I'm cosplaying Ed, I must have lost the other contact when you ran into me. I was…just about to go get the rest of my costume, if you'll excuse me-"

"So you habe a audomail arm u'der your shird?" She rapped her knuckles on his right arm and he pulled away, chuckling nervously and saying, "Uh yeah, that's right! Now I really need to go and-"

"So why gan I see your hand?" They both stared down at his bare hand and he grit his teeth, muttering, "You ask too many questions, kid."

For a long minute, she just stared at him in surprise before whispering, "…Ebwarb?"

"You're…mistaken." Vic hissed, the nervousness evident in his voice.

"You are him! Oh by gosh, you're-" The girl squealed out loud but Vic quickly clapped his hand over her mouth.

"Quiet! They can hear you!" He said, taking her hand and towing her toward the door.

"Dey?" She muttered, looking around as if she expected someone to be lurking nearby.

"Yes, now follow me." Stopping at the door, he peeked out as if making sure the coast was clear before saying, "We need to get out of here fast but we need a diversion."

"Trip someone?" She suggested.

"Yes, perfect!" Vic reached into his shirt and produced a ruby ring, placing it on his finger and clapping his hands. He stooped and touched his palms to the floor just as the ground shuttered. Watching in amazement, several tiles across the hall popped up and tripped a group of girls running by. Amidst the noise and confusion, Vic and the girl slipped from the bathroom unseen and ran down the hall away from the commotion. They turned a corner and didn't stop running until they were inside Vic's hotel room. Bolting the door behind him, Vic said, "There, we'll be safe in here, I put a protection spell on the room so no one can get in without my help."

"What on earth is going on here, Vic? Why did you bring me to your room? And what are you doing??" The girl pulled the plugs from her nostrils and watched as Vic removed the remaining hazel contact and placed it in a tray of solution.

"What's your name?" Vic asked calmly as he shut the contact case and pulled another out of a bag sitting on the sink.

"Um…Ginny." She blushed as Vic looked up and smiled with a sad glimmer in his golden eyes.

"Not many people know my secret, Ginny, can I trust you?"

"Trust me…?" She blinked.

"Yes, can I count on you to keep my secret, otherwise…I'll have to kill you." His eyes bore into her and she swallowed hard. Suddenly, he let out a laugh and said, "I'm kidding, relax! If you cling to that wall anymore you'll leave nail marks and I'll have to pay the hotel to have it fixed."

"Oh…sorry, I just…I don't know what to say…you're really Ed?" She stepped away from the wall and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Please, call me Vic, I haven't used that name in so long…" His expression softened and he turned away, wandering into the room slowly and sitting on the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh. Cautiously, Ginny followed him and stopped a few feet away, whispering, "But Vic, if you really are who you say you are…why aren't you really old and wrinkly?"

"Gee, thanks…I guess." Vic almost fell off the bed at her comment and propped his hands on his knees as he closed his eyes and reminisced, "I've been using the aid of a philosopher's stone to make it through the years, it hasn't been easy."

"A…wha?? But…but alchemy doesn't exist in our world!"

"It doesn't exist now but there was still the vague leftovers of it lulling about back when I first arrived here, most likely revived by my presence. Normally it would be impossible for your kind to make a stone but with the proper knowledge…anything's possible. If a stone exists, alchemy exists within it and can be harnessed by a skilled alchemist."

"Like you." She said, intrigued by his story, whether false or true.

"Yes, in a sense. The people who made it thought they could use me to keep them from growing old or dying, they planned to rule the world for all eternity by living forever. Their arrogance was their downfall and I took advantage of it. I took the stone and fled the country before they could stop me, living the rest of my life on the run and in the shadows."

"But why? Why would you use it?" She frowned in confusion.

"Because…I have a job to do."

"What's so important that you'd use the philosopher's stone, knowing very well how it came to be?"

"The fate of all humanity, that's what."

"Wow…that's a lot to handle. But…what I don't understand is how you've pretended to be someone you're not all these years. Is Vic even a real person?" Ginny approached the bed and sat next to him, eager to hear more.

"Oh yeah, he was, very nice guy…couldn't have asked for a better friend." Vic smiled as he remembered him fondly.

"Was? Where is he now? Is he…" Her face contorted into a sad expression as Vic's sank at the thought of it.

"He died a couple years back, he asked me to take over for him and watch over of his mom, who was I to say no? After all he's done for me, it's the least I could do." Vic said quietly.

"Does she know that you're not her real son?"

"I never told her but I suspect she does…"

"Wow…so…what happened to him? If you don't mind me asking, it's just weird thinking that he's gone…"

"It's a long story, let's just say certain people weren't too happy about the fanfilm he made cause he almost blew their cover for the whole world to see."

"Are you serious? That's crazy, it was just a film!" Ginny felt her heart race wildly as her rage grew inside her.

"To you it may have been, but you don't know anything about what goes on behind the scenes. It's bigger than you could ever imagine…believe me, you don't want to get involved." Vic got up and crossed the room to window and peeked out the curtain, looking into the streets below at life passing them by.

"But…if I know your secret, doesn't that mean I'm already involved? I don't really have a choice now and…I wanna help!" Ginny said determinedly.

"You? Help? You can't, you've got no power to fight what's to come, you're better off hiding like the others." Vic chuckled dryly.

"That's not true! I may not know alchemy and I might just be some stupid girl that can't tell the boy's bathroom from the girl's but I will never let you down! I'm smart, I can find stuff for you and research things and-"

"Listen, Ginny, I have seen a lot of people just like you who wanted to help and ended up throwing their lives away for nothing. I don't want you to do the same, this is my battle…" Vic said with a serious tone in his voice, his gold eyes flashing violently as he stared her down.

"If the fate of the world is at stake, then it's my battle too! I live here, I should help protect the world just like you, no matter what happens! I'm sure Al feels the same way, right?"

Vic's expression went blank suddenly and he turned back to the window, muttering, "Yeah…he did."

Confused, Ginny was about to inquire further but a knock came at the door and interrupted their conversation. Vic quickly moved across the room, motioning for Ginny to hide behind the wall as he peered out the peephole to see who was there. With a sigh, he unbolted the door and opened it, saying, "What are you doing here, Travis?"

"I saw you hightailing it out of the con and thought something was up, you don't usually use your alchemy unless it's serious. Can I come in?" A deep voice said around the corner.

"Yeah, I kind of had a problem." Vic invited the man in and shut the door behind him, bolting it again and leading him in to see Ginny.

"Oh…uh…" Travis was caught off guard and looked back at Vic.

"She knows my little secret, just like you. I was trying to convince her that she's better off forgetting about it but she's a stubborn one." Vic explained, returning to the window.

"I'm not stubborn, you're the one that won't let me help!" Ginny said indignantly.

"She sure is spirited, you definitely know how to pick 'em." Travis smirked, "But he's right saying you should forget, it's not easy being a secret keeper."

"But you know who he is! So do countless other people! Why am I any different!"

"You're just a kid, you wouldn't understand." Vic muttered, continuing to watch the street below.

"I'm not a kid, I'm almost 17! I'm sure Aaron knows and he's younger than me!"

"That's where you'd be wrong, Eddo there doesn't want anyone to know if he can help it and Aaron would be the last person he'd tell. Sentiments, most likely."

"That's enough, Travis, and what have I told you about calling me that?"

"Yeah yeah…" Travis scratched the back of his head.

"So…how did you find out?" Ginny asked calmly.

"It's…a very long story, I doubt he'd want me to tell you cause it's a bit embarrassing." Travis chuckled before leaning in and whispering, "I'll tell you later."

"There will be no later, she's not helping." Vic said sternly.

"Oh right…so what's she gonna do, sit around her house being paranoid for the rest of her life expecting a homunculus to come and off her?"

"Homunculus? They're real??" Ginny's jaw dropped and Travis laughed again.

"Of course they are, they just aren't as obvious as the ones in the series. I'm sure you're aware of the terrorists in the history books…"

"They're homunculi?"

"Or they were taking orders from one, which was often the case. Where do you think they get the idea that they can take over the world? Those homunculus promise a lot and give very little, the only thing you can trust them to be is untrustworthy."

"So…do you know who they are? Where they are?"

"A few, yes, but not many. They're better than I am at hiding their identities." Vic said mildly.

"Yeah, cause you're too nice to kill the people who find out." Travis commented.

"Enough people have died because of me, I don't need more guilt on my conscience."

"Look, it wasn't your fault he died, Ed! He understood the risks, as do we all, you gotta stop blaming yourself for what happened."

"This discussion is over." Vic said coldly, refusing to meet Travis' gaze.

"Fine, be that way, but you can't just expect to let her leave and not get killed or even kidnapped. Face it, she's involved and there's nothing you can do about it."

"There is one thing…" Vic looked down at the ring on his finger and Travis's mood changed quickly.

"Oh no, don't even think about wiping her memory! Remember last time you tried to do that??"

"It's better than knowing!"

"No, I don't want to forget! I never want to forget you, Vic!" Ginny felt her eyes watering as she desperately fought to keep her memories.

"I'm not the man you think I am, Ginny…" Vic whispered under his breath, a hint of resentment in his voice.

"You're every bit the man I think you are, Vic! You may not have lived his life but that's who you are now and he wouldn't have wanted you to be like this! I'm sure he wouldn't…"

Swallowing her fears, she went to him and took his hand, saying softly, "You've been suffering in silence all this time, pretending to be someone you're not so that you can save the people you've been hiding from all these years. Such an act of selflessness is too much for you to have to bear alone for 60 years, Vic, I…I want to be there for you. Please let me help, I know I can't fight the way you can but I can give you the support you deserve! Just give me a chance…"

"Ginny…" Vic uttered, his heart wrenching inside his chest as he recalled the many souls that said the same to him in the past.

"Look, the damage is done, let's move on and not argue about it. Besides, you've got fans to meet back at the con and running off like this gonna make them suspicious, especially if anyone saw you with her. Shall we?" Travis motioned toward the door and Vic sighed, saying, "Yeah, I guess so. We'll talk about this later, Ginny."

"Okay." She said shyly, bowing her head as he turned to face them. Giving her a sympathetic look, he touched his finger to her chin and lifted her head, saying, "But just to be safe, do you mind hanging around with me for the rest of the con so I know you're alright?"

A smile lit her face up and she replied cheerfully, "Sure, anything for you, Vic!"

"Right, let's get back before they think we're having a threesome up here." Travis said as he walked to the door.

"TRAVIS!" Vic exclaimed, threatening to use his alchemy on him as they raced out the door and back to the con.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Arrangements

Ginny stayed close by Vic's side the rest of the convention, following him through the halls and sitting in the front rows of every event he attended (at his request). She felt a little awkward getting the special treatment but somehow felt safer knowing he was close by. As the day wore on, she got to see him interact with others and listened to him talk about himself (at least his past self) with his fans. Finally, when the con was coming to an end and it was time to go home, Vic pulled her aside out of earshot of passing attendees.

"I'm concerned about how safe you'll be going home by yourself." Vic said in a hushed voice.

"Oh, I was just going to catch the bus, it's only a couple hours away." She said, equally as quiet.

"Is it north of here? I can drop you off on my way home!"

"Actually, yeah. But I don't want to put you out of your way…" She toed the floor.

"Nonsense, I want to. Besides, it'll give us more time to talk about…things." He smiled and she felt a little nervous.

"What kind of things?"

"Just stuff…come on, get your things and we'll head out. My car's in the parking lot." He glanced around casually as she fidgeted and said, "Well…I already do."

"Hmm? What, all you brought was that backpack?" He said curiously.

"Yeah…" She seemed a little uncomfortable about the subject and he decided to let it slide, turning and saying over his shoulder, "Well, let's get going then."

"Okay." They left the con together and wandered out into the parking lot, stopping at his Yukon as he unlocked it. Curiously, Ginny ventured around to the front and stared at the bummer with a grin.

"What is it?" Vic asked as he opened her door for her.

"Just seeing if you still had the vanity plate." She grinned, getting into the passenger's seat. Vic went around and got into the driver's seat, starting it up and saying, "Did you see the fanfilm?"

"Yeah, I was one of the lucky few, I liked it a lot. It's a shame it was the end of Vic's career…"

"Yeah…" He muttered before pulling out of the parking lot and heading home. Several minutes down the road, Ginny spoke up again and said, "So, uh…what did you do after you left Germany?"

"Well, I traveled the world in my pursuit of safe places to hide out. I met a lot of people along the way and learned a lot about different cultures; it's enough to change your perspective of the world. I've also fought in many wars over the years because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Really? Did you fight in Vietnam?" Ginny's eyes swam with excitement as she waited anxiously to hear his stories.

"I fought in all the wars between the 1940's and 1980's, I kind of decided to stay out of the military after that."

"That's amazing, what made you quit?"

"Well…I moved to Japan around 1987 and lived in Hokkaido working for a delivery truck business. They went around farms transporting goods to the market so I got to meet a lot of people out in the country, it was beautiful. I still remember the rice fields when they were ready for harvest, like fields of gold dancing in the wild…"

"It sounds like a beautiful place to live."

"It was, it's also where I met a very special woman whom I'm still friends with to this day. Her name was Hiromi, I used to call her Romi-chan. I would visit her family's farm every week and she'd be the first face I'd see, smiling up at me as she did her chores. She always stopped to talk to me while I was there, sometimes we'd sit on the fence watching the cows graze, sharing stories and telling jokes. It was a good time in my life, very quiet and peaceful."

"Why did you leave? You sound like you liked this girl a lot."

"I did, yes…but there's only woman I ever truly loved. I told Hiromi this but she understood and still wanted to be my friend. She was a wonderful person with a sense of humor unrivaled by anyone I had ever met before, she had a strange affection for corny movies. She used to drag me off to the films whenever something new and wacky came out, we'd sit in the back row and laugh our heads off. But I knew I could never stay with her forever, my fate wouldn't allow it. So I gave her something she could remember me by for all eternity: my life story. You may know it now as Fullmetal Alchemist."

"So…Hiromi was the creator!"

"Yeah, once her story became a big hit, she told me to go to America and find her a good guy to play my character, someone who would do me justice. So I did…and that's how I found Vic."

"You're the one who got Vic the part??" Ginny said in shock.

"Sort of, I kind of worked for FUNimation as a liaison for Hiromi, since she couldn't leave Japan to work on the dubbing in the United States. I met Vic before his audition and knew immediately that he was the guy for the part after talking to him for a few minutes. Our voices were so similar and we looked a lot alike back then, though I still had my long hair and a beard. We became best friends and I moved to Texas and lived nearby him in an apartment complex, it was definitely a change of pace from living in Japan so long. I had to learn English because I hadn't really been here before that but Vic helped me out a lot."

"You didn't know English? What did you know?"

"Oooh, my native language from my dimension, German, Swedish, Italian, and Japanese. My English was pretty loose cause I had been to England and Australia before and they mainly speak English there, if you ignore the different terminology for things."

"That's pretty impressive, you must be a fast learner."

"Yeah, I guess it comes from studying all the time, I'm a complete nerd when it comes to alchemy though." Vic chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm a nerd when it comes to studying too, I get teased a lot in school for getting straight A's." Ginny laughed with him.

"I guess we're just a couple of dorks with nothing better to do but bury our noses in books all day. Except I don't have much time for that anymore, seeing as I have to live Vic's life 24/7. It's not an easy job, believe me."

"I can imagine. You know…" Ginny blushed a little as she said, "I always wanted to be an apprentice for Vic, learn from him and get knowledge from an expert like him. I guess that'll never happen…"

"Don't lose all hope in your dreams, Ginny, faith and hope are all we've got to keep us going everyday. Otherwise, what's the point of living if you've got nothing to look forward to?"

"I guess you have a point, but it's hard to have my dream come true when the man I admire is dead."

"Where there's a will, there's a way." Vic said quietly, causing the conversation to come to an end until they had reached their final destination. When they arrived at Ginny's apartment complex, Vic got out with her and looked up at the building, saying, "This is where you live?"

"Yeah, it's not much…well, see ya." She waved and started up the sidewalk when Vic stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

"Hang on! I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't walk you to the door; it's not safe for a girl to be walking around by herself. Besides, you haven't given me your phone number or email so I can keep in touch with you." Vic said, putting the arm he grabbed around his and walking with her into the complex.

"My, aren't you forward." She grinned and he frowned sarcastically.

"Oh yes, I pick up underage girls all the time." He said dryly, glancing around casually, though she knew he was surveying the area and making sure it was safe.

"Well, I'd give you the information you want but…" Her voice trailed off nervously.

"What?" Vic looked down at her curiously.

"I don't have an email, I don't even have access to the internet."

"What about your phone? Don't you have one of those?"

"I…my parents don't like strange men calling me." She said, looking away.

"That sucks…how am I suppose to keep in touch?" He looked aggravated as they climbed the stairs to the second floor.

"I guess we'd have to arrange to meet somewhere. After school, I always go to this arcade a block south of here for a couple hours before coming home, I guess you can meet me there if you really wanted to. Otherwise…I don't know." She shrugged. They stopped in front of a door and she took her backpack off, pulling out a pair of keys and fondling them slowly.

"So…sometime around 4? It's a date." He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek before backtracking to the stairwell, "See ya tomorrow afternoon, Ginny."

"See you…Vic." She whispered, hiding the blush spreading across her face. Quickly, she opened her door and slipped in, shutting it and falling back against it with a heavy sigh.

The next day was heavy with rain, soaking the world in a sorrowful atmosphere and making life difficult for those trying to get around the city. Vic pulled up to the arcade he'd been directed to the evening before and quickly hurried through the rain to the front door. Entering the building, the sound of video games echoed everywhere, various tunes playing as kids from the local school battled to beat the high score board. Wandering in further, he spotted a small pizzeria in the corner and decided to wait there for Ginny. Walking up to the counter, he leaned on it and called to the waitress, "Hey there, sweetie, can I have a slice of pizza to go?"

"Cheese or pepperoni?" She turned around and to Vic's surprise, it was Ginny.

"I didn't know you worked here." He said, taking the pizza slice she handed him.

"You never asked; want a drink with that?" She smirked, grabbing a cup and going to the soda fountain.

"Dr. Pepper." He took his drink and paid, turning as he sipped to lean against the counter casually, surveying the arcade, "How long have you been working here? I remember coming here with my friend to play games and talk."

"Only about a year, I needed the money. Besides, it's kind of fun cause I get to play all the games I want for free." Ginny leaned against the counter as well, smiling as she watched a couple kids play skeeball in the corner.

"Really? Sweet! I should get a job here." Vic grinned and Ginny looked up at him with a cocked eyebrow.

"And give up all the fun you have at conventions? Why would you want to do that?" She said sarcastically, wandering about and randomly cleaning things. Taking a bite of his pizza, he said, "So how was school?"

"Fine…it's school." She shrugged, cleaning off the fountain nozzles.

"No trouble with bullies?"

"Not today, no."

"That's good…can I ask you something, Ginny?"

Looking up, she said quietly, "I guess so." Before Vic could say anything, a commotion started across the room. A group of boys had circled around a smaller kid and were obviously not being very kind to him as they taunted him with something.

"Hey!" Vic shouted, setting his drink down and getting ready to go over and stop it when Ginny rushed past him, hurrying to the group and shoving a couple aside to get to the little boy being attacked. Pulling him free, she hid him behind her and said loudly, "Leave him alone, you jerks! How many times have I told you to stay out of here?! Get out!"

"We'll go wherever we want, Orphan!" The biggest boy said roughly, trying to intimidate her with no avail. Standing her ground, she growled, "Is that what you're going to say when the police come?"

"Yeah right, if you call the cops on us one more time, no one will come to this dump anymore. Besides, we were just having a little fun." He grinned, waving something plastic around casually.

"Give that back!" She made a grab for it but he pulled it away, causing the boys to laugh obnoxiously at her attempts.

"You want it? Jump!" He dangled it over her head but she refused to comply, giving him a deathly glare while holding the frightened boy behind her.

"I said give it back!" She growled.

"I think you should listen to her, boys." Vic took his place next to Ginny, crossing his arms and staring down the boy who was obviously the leader.

"Who are you, her boyfriend?" He scoffed.

"No, I'm a cop. Wanna see my badge?" He started to reach for his wallet when the boys wailed and ran for the door, the tallest lingering to give Ginny a dirty look before chucking the object at her and following his gang. Ginny stooped and picked it up off the floor before turning to the little boy and saying, "Drew, how many times have I told you to stay away from them? You're lucky they didn't break it this time."

"I'm sorry, Gin, they cornered me!" He sniffed, obviously fighting back his tears. Suddenly, Vic realized what Ginny had in her hand, it was a prosthetic arm.

"Alright, let's get you fixed up, come on." She led him over to the dining area and sat him down, rolling up his sleeve and getting to work reattaching the piece to its base at his elbow. Drew looked up at Vic curiously as he stared at them in silence, muttering, "Who's the police man?"

"Oh, he's my friend. Would you hold still??" Ginny fussed with the clips as Drew fidgeted in the chair.

"I hate this stupid arm, it's annoying." Drew whined. Finally, she managed to get it securely fastened in place, testing it before patting his shoulder and saying, "There, now go play some games and stay where I can see you!" Handing him some coins, he jumped up and ran off to a driving game, leaving Vic and Ginny to watch him from afar.

"You never said you had a brother." Vic finally said as Ginny walked back to her station behind the counter.

"You never asked." She muttered, obviously somewhat uneasy about mentioning it.

"How long has he had that?" Vic resumed his leaning on the counter, picking up the drink and watching Drew pilot the car around the course as if nothing had just happened.

"All his life, he was born with the lower have of his arm missing. You'd think he'd be used to the prosthetic by now but he still complains, I think he just hates getting teased about it." Ginny began wiping the counter down to distract herself as Vic smiled, touching his right arm.

"You'd be surprised…" He said, looking up at Drew in an understanding way.

"He'd be thrilled to have something like automail instead, he's constantly talking about how he could beat up the bullies if he was like Ed." Ginny looked up at Vic in amusement and he let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, that kid sure had a fiery spirit, didn't he?" Vic said quietly.

"He still does, I imagine." Ginny replied. The hours wore on and Vic remained at the arcade, talking to Ginny and playing with her little brother on the various games. Finally, it was the end of her shift and time to head home for the night. As she headed toward the door with Drew in tow, Vic said, "I'll give you guys a ride home, it's still sort of raining and it's getting dark."

"It's okay, we only live a couple blocks from here." Ginny argued.

"After today, I'd feel a lot better knowing you two got home safe. Give this old man a break and let me drive you home." Vic held the door open and Ginny sighed, ushering her brother out and saying, "Fine, old man, but don't make a habit of it."

"I'll try." Vic smirked, unlocking the car and opening her door. They piled in and within a few minutes, were back at the apartments and upstairs.

"The teacher says I need some stuff signed for class, can you do it before tomorrow?" Drew asked as Ginny pulled out her keys.

"Um…sure thing, let's get inside and talk about it later, okay?" Ginny said quietly, opening the door and ushering Drew inside as she avoided Vic's gaze. Standing still for a moment with the door slightly ajar, Ginny finally said, "Well, goodnight and thanks for the ride."

"Shouldn't his parents be signing his school papers?" Vic asked, a look of concern on his face.

"They should be, shouldn't they?" She said, her voice lower than before.

"Where are your parents, Ginny?"

"You ask too many questions."

"You're the one who said I never ask, so now I'm asking."

"Sometimes there's just things you don't ask about…and respect enough not to. Goodnight, Vic." Before he could stop her, she slid inside the apartment and shut the door, locking it almost instantly.

As the days passed into weeks, time eased by a little smoother than it had been. Vic stopped by the arcade everyday to spend time with Ginny and Drew, playing with the little boy and telling him stories over a couple slices of pizza (which he paid for every time). Two weeks after they had all met, Vic was scheduled for another convention and was somewhat anxious about leaving them unguarded. The day before he left for the con, he approached Ginny at the arcade.

"I'll be out of town this weekend for a convention in New York, I don't really like leaving you two alone for those 3 days so I made some arrangements." Vic said to Ginny in a hushed voice.

"What? When were you going to tell me this?" Ginny frowned, stopping mid-sweep as she cleaned the dining room area.

"Right now?" He smirked, backing behind a table out of her reach and waving her off, "Don't kill me, I have my reasons! You know that I worry about you two!"

"Yeah but…" She sighed in defeat and groaned, "Where are you sending us?"

"You'll be hanging out with my good friend Caitlin at her place for the weekend, I think you'll like her. She's a real sweetie and don't worry, she knows so it shouldn't be too awkward." Vic explained.

"Caitlin? You mean the voice actress? I get to hang out with Winry all weekend??" Ginny suddenly became excited.

"In a way, I guess. She does have a show on Saturday and you'll have to go with her but it's a good one, you'll love it! When you get off work tomorrow, she'll come by and pick you and Drew up. I think she said she'd be by around 7 PM, just keep an eye out for a cute redhead." He chuckled, helping to push in a couple chairs as Ginny went back to sweeping.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Incidents

They got to Caitlin's apartment around 11:30, Ginny had to carry Drew upstairs and over to the couch where she laid him for the night. Draping a blanket over him, she brushed his hair aside again before settling their stuff at the base of the couch and turning to Caitlin.

"I have a sleeping bag you can use, I'm sorry I don't have much space for you guys." Caitlin said as she wandered into her bedroom.

"That's okay, I use a sleeping bag at home anyway so I'm used to it." Ginny said, taking the roll from her when she returned and setting it up beside the couch.

"You don't have a bed?" Caitlin said in surprise.

"I had to sell it for money last year when Drew's arm broke." She motioned to his obviously fake hand peeking out under the blanket.

"Oh, I didn't notice that! That must have been rough for you two…" She looked terribly concerned for them as she hurried and got her a pillow.

"Yeah, I had to cancel the electric for a month in order to afford it, they aren't cheap." Ginny sighed, sitting on her rolled out bed.

"That's terrible, you shouldn't have to live like that so young in your life!" Caitlin said, handing her a pillow.

"I've been through worse times, I'm just thankful for good health and free food at the arcade. The manager knows our situation and lets us eat there for free, she's really a nice lady. I don't know what I'd do if I had to pay for food too…"

"I know how you feel, being an actor isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I'm grateful for my loving family, they're always there for me when times are hard." Caitlin said with a sigh, sitting in a chair nearby. She curled up and hugged her knees to her chest, staring at Ginny seemingly in deep thought. Blinking in confusion, Ginny said, "What?"

"You're amazing, sacrificing your own happiness for another…there aren't many people like that in the world." Caitlin said, a note of admiration in her voice. Blushing, Ginny stared at her lap in embarrassment and muttered, "I told you, I didn't have a choice."

"You could have just gone into the child care system, they could have found you two a good family."

"Yeah right, I'd never make my brother go through something like that."

"When did your mother die, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Last year, she got really sick. She probably could have gotten better but she was too stubborn to admit it and refused to go to the hospital, she never did like doctors much." Ginny said, wandering over to a chair next to Caitlin and sitting down, far enough away from Drew to have a private conversation.

"That must have been tough to deal with alone." Caitlin looked sympathetic, tilting her head to the side on her knees.

"I never really had time to think about it, I had to take charge of everything. We couldn't afford to give mom a funeral so we ended up having her cremated, she's sitting on the table in our apartment now. Sometimes I hear Drew talking to her when I'm not in the room, he misses her a lot and I wish I could do something for him…but I'm too busy working to keep us alive. I'm not a mother and I'm a lousy sister, all I do is tell him not to do something or give him chores to keep him busy too. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't know how to comfort him…" She looked up at his silently sleeping form on the couch.

"Maybe you need to grieve in order to help him grieve, sometimes the pain we hide inside us keeps us from being able to help others in the way we need to be helped. We think that by pretending it's not there, the pain will go away by itself but it doesn't really work that way…"

"He's not even my blood brother, you know. He doesn't know because mom never wanted him to know the truth…about who his real father is…it's better that he doesn't know." Ginny returned her gaze to her lap where her hands were clutching her pants tightly.

"What do you mean? You said your mom didn't trust other men…" Suddenly, the realization hit Caitlin and she gasped, saying quietly in shock, "Was she…"

"I was only 7 at the time, I didn't understand what happened. She came home late, her clothes weren't on right and she had a vacant look in her eyes. I asked her what was wrong and she fell to the floor and just started crying, I didn't know what to do so I just closed the door behind her. Before I could say anything else, she grabbed me and told me to never trust men, to run away from them if they come near me. 9 months later, I had a little brother."

"Oh, Ginny…"

"It's not his fault, he shouldn't have to suffer with the knowledge that his father was some psychopath she met on the street. He shouldn't even have to live without parents like this but I don't want to risk anything bad happening to him, I don't want to give him to anyone else. I promised mom that I'd take care of him and protect him no matter what…no matter how hard it is sometimes, his happiness is all that matters." Ginny suddenly laughed and surprised Caitlin a little, "You know, ever since Vic came into our lives, Drew's been so happy. I don't think I've seen him smile so much since mom died, he's grown so attached to Vic…I don't know what we'll do if anything happens to him too." She looked over at Caitlin, tears in her eyes as she whispered, "Caitlin, I don't want him to die…not Vic…"

Caitlin pulled her into her arms and hugged her close, muffling her sobs and soothing her fears with soft caresses, holding her long into the night until she cried herself to sleep. In the morning, Ginny found herself in the sleeping bag, staring blankly at the front of the couch with puffy eyes. Suddenly, the events of last night hit her like a brick and she moaned, slowly hiding her face in the folds of the sleeping bag.

"Yay, Ginny's up! She can come make boxes with us!" Drew's cheerful voice echoed from across the room.

"Let her rest if she wants, I'm sure she deserves a break." Caitlin said after him and they fell silent again save for the occasional comment about whatever they were doing. Finally, Ginny rolled over and looked up to see them at the dining room table folding paper into shapes, an array of finished objects strewn on the table beside them. Getting up, Ginny said groggily, "What are you two doing?"

"Making AAAAAAAAARRRRRigami!" Drew said, with a piratey tone to his voice.

"Huh?" Ginny looked confused in her stupor and Caitlin laughed, saying, "Origami, Japanese paper folding. Drew said he's never heard of it so I thought I'd show him how it's done!"

"We're making boxes, aren't they cool??" Drew showed her a sloppily made basket with flaps on the edges and she nodded.

"That's…lovely. Um, Caitlin…" Ginny muttered, rubbing her eye and trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Come make a box with us, here's some paper." Caitlin said, giving her a reassuring smile and holding out a piece of folding paper. Reluctantly, she took the paper and looked at it. Scribbled in the corner was, "Don't worry, it's our secret." Looking up again, she met Caitlin's gaze and they exchanged a mutual understanding before pretending nothing happened.

"So…how do I do this?" Ginny said, sitting next to her brother and folding the corners in so he couldn't see the message. They made a couple shapes before breaking for lunch, gathering in the kitchen as Caitlin rummaged in the refrigerator.

"I wanted to take you guys out to this park nearby the theatre for lunch, we can have a little picnic! There's trees and fields and playgrounds, tons of stuff to do for lively little boys." Caitlin winked, fixing some meals and filling a basket sitting on the counter.

"Yay! I love parks!" Drew cheered, taking the basket when it was filled and heading out the door with the others. A little while later, they wandered through the park and found a nice shady area by a playground to set up lunch. After eating, Drew ran off to the playground to expend his pent up energy while the girls watched and chatted.

"You sure it's safe out here in the open like this?" Ginny asked Caitlin quietly.

"Vic worries about things more than he probably should, there's not much of a chance that any of us will be in any danger. After all, I know his secret and nothing has ever happened to me, or to Travis! He just gets worried because you two are alone and doesn't want anything bad to happen to you in general." Caitlin said with a smile.

"He is pretty protective, he's scared off the gang that usually hangs around the arcade. I don't know what he did but they ran so fast, their feet couldn't carry them and they kept tripping over each other. You should have seen it, I was rolling on the floor." Ginny laughed, recalling the time and laughing even harder.

"I can imagine! He is pretty intimidating with those muscles, if it weren't for his kind demeanor…"

"No kidding, he just makes you feel safe with his warmth. Not quite like the real thing but it's pretty darn close." Ginny sighed, calming her laughing fit.

"You knew Vic?" Caitlin leaned on the table to be closer to Ginny as she got a distant look in her eyes.

"I'd met him before, if that's what you mean. 2 years ago, I was in the area of a con and saw all the cosplayers. It made me curious so I followed them into the convention and was blown away by all the people there, I wanted to stay but I didn't have any money. Just then, I saw Vic signing some autographs and went to ask him what was going on. He was surprised that I didn't know where I was but gladly enlightened me about anything and everything anime. Then he did something I didn't expect of him."

"What'd he do?" Caitlin asked excitedly.

"He bought me a ticket for the day! I couldn't believe it, he didn't even know who I was and he was buying me a pass. I was shocked and didn't really know what to say so I just kept asking him about the con and anime while we waited in the registration line. I'd never met such a sweet and generous person before, he made me want to know him, even though I had no clue about anything going on at that place." Ginny said fondly in a tone that expressed her wish to have him around again.

"He was an amazing man, wasn't he? Edward's done a fine job in his place, he's very smart." Caitlin noted.

"Yes…but it's just not quite the same…I miss him. Do you suppose Ed ever gets tired of being someone he's not?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Constantly, he has to look to his friends for support when he's feeling overwhelmed. He calls Mandy a lot cause she's been there for him ever since Vic's passing, she knew him pretty well so whenever he has a question about what Vic would do in any particular situation, he calls her. She's a godsend, that woman."

"I bet." Ginny watched her brother flying on the swings and couldn't help but smile, "You're quite the godsend yourself, Caitlin. Giving my brother so many opportunities for new things to enjoy doing, to feel like a kid after so long…"

"It's nothing, really. I know how he must feel and wanted to give him something to do while you guys were here. Little boys have active imaginations that if left to their own devices, may result in bad situations. It's always best to keep them entertained, as I've learned." Caitlin winked and they both chuckled. Just then Caitlin's cell phone rang and she answered it. Watching her expressions change from that of joy to utter horror caused Ginny's heart to skip a beat in fear of what was being said to her over the phone, staring anxiously at Caitlin until she hung up.

"What is it?" Ginny asked immediately as Caitlin stood and gathered their things.

"We need to go." Caitlin said bluntly.

"Go where?" Ginny asked, rising as well and grabbing her bag.

"To Vic's house, we'll be safe there. Get your brother and head to the truck." Caitlin said, starting down the sidewalk toward the parking lot. Ginny collected her brother from the playground and they hurried after her, Drew asking questions all the way to the truck.

"What's going on? Are we late for Caitlin's play?" Drew asked curiously, doing his best to keep up with his sister's long strides.

"No, we're going to Vic's house." Ginny replied shortly.

"Vic's house? How come?" Drew frowned in confusion.

"Just cause, don't ask so many questions."

"You don't know either, do you?"

"…that's not the point, just be quiet and behave yourself when we get there." Ginny scolded as she opened the door to let him in.

"What about the play?" Drew looked over at Caitlin as she got in and started the truck.

"I'll get someone to substitute for me, it's okay." Caitlin replied, already dialing her phone to call for an understudy.

"But I wanted to see the play…I've never seen one before." Drew sighed before falling silent and sulking in between the girls. They hurried to Vic's home as fast as they could, forgetting any form of driving courtesies and breaking the speed limit as often as possible. Pulling into the driveway, they piled out and hurried to the front door. Caitlin already had a set of keys out and was unlocking the door before they reached the doorstep. Ushering them in, she kept a watchful eye of the surrounding neighborhood before entering after them and locking the door.

"Alright, Vic won't be home for another hour so…I guess you can watch whatever anime he has." Caitlin said with a sigh, looking around the house as if she hadn't seen it in a long time.

"What's in here? WOAH, look at all the toys!" Drew peeked into one of the rooms with its door ajar.

"Drew, don't go poking around, it's not your house!" Ginny scolded.

"That's Vic's toy room, it's where he puts everything people have given to him over the years." Caitlin smiled as she peeked in over his head at the walls wallpapered with posters and scrolls.

"Cooool, can I look?" Drew bounced eagerly.

"Sure, let's see what he's got in there!" She said cheerfully, trying to mask the severity of the situation. While Caitlin gave Drew a tour of the room, Ginny wandered into the living room to look around. Random pictures were placed here and there around the room of Vic's family and friends, all looking happy to be trapped in their little frames. Staring at one of him and his mother, she muttered to herself, "I wonder how you feel about him now…do you hate him for being the reason your son died? Do you hate him for taking his place? It must be hard pretending to love a stranger…"

"She has always supported him no matter what, even to this day." Caitlin appeared behind her and startled her from her musing.

"Caitlin! Where's-" Ginny looked flushed as she faced her suddenly.

"He's playing with some of Vic's toys, I wanted to check on you." Caitlin stood next to her and softly touched the photo where Vic stood smiling eternally.

"Oh…well…I was just thinking about stuff…" Ginny looked away nervously.

"About Vic's sacrifice?" Caitlin glanced over at her curiously.

"If everyone misses him so much, didn't he know he'd be doing more harm than good?"

"Sometimes…things happen for reasons we may never understand, but believe me when I say it wasn't in vain. Maybe he had to die in order to show us all how serious the threat is, or even to bring you to us."

"Me? What can I do?" Ginny looked confused and slightly disbelieving of her theory.

"You have taught Vic some things he has forgotten over the years, things about life and love that none of us could show him. Right now, you're more important than anything in the world and he'd die protecting you if he had to."

"Die? I don't want him to die!" Ginny shouted in frustration, "I don't want anymore people leaving or dying because of me!"

"Ginny, it's not your fault, what happened-"

"It is! If I had been a better daughter or got a job sooner, maybe…maybe…" Ginny clenched her fists in front of her as if ready to defend her claims with all her might.

"There's nothing you could have done, Gin, mom gave up on us a long time before she died." They both turned to see Drew standing in the room staring at the floor with an Ed plushy clutched in his arms.

"Drew!" Ginny stared at him in shock.

"She died because she didn't want to live like this anymore, like us. I know you thought she loved us but do you really think that a real mom would force us to live like abandoned animals? Huddling together when it's cold, begging for scraps, mending our clothes within an inch of their lives? A real mom would have gotten help and not pushed everyone away!"

"She did her best, you don't know what she's been through!" Ginny said arguably.

"How am I suppose to know, you always hid everything from me! I'm sick of all these stupid secrets and taboos, I want to know the truth about everything!" Drew glared at his sister, his voice in a low growl colder than the chilliest winter night.

"Ginny bit her tongue and muttered, "Drew, this is not the time nor the place…"

"When will it be? When I'm 18 and resenting you for sheltering me from the truth? Don't give me that, I want to know the truth NOW! Not tomorrow, not 'later', right now!"

"Fine, you really want to know?" Ginny shouted bitterly.

"Ginny, wait, don't say something you'll regret." Caitlin urged her to stop but it was too late.

"No, he wants to know the truth so I'll tell him. Mom was raped, Drew, by a complete stranger. 9 months later, you were born."

"What…are you saying?" Drew stared at her blankly, all the fire in him blown out.

"You're a child of rape, don't you understand?" Ginny exclaimed, tears in her eyes.

"But…mom said-" Drew was trembling with shock.

"She didn't want you to know, she thought that it was better than feeling like an unwanted product of sin, like some kind of abomination."

"A little late for that, Gin." Drew said, raising his prosthetic dully.

"So what does that make me?" Vic suddenly staggered in from the kitchen, his shirt half ripped off and the skin on his upper right arm ripped roughly off to reveal his automail. Drew gawked as Caitlin ran to him just in time to break his fall as he stumbled into the room.

"Vic! Oh no, what happened??" Caitlin asked, helping him to a chair, trying not to leave many strains on the carpet as he bled from his side.

"They found me…it was all I could do to keep the convention safe by leading them away. But now…" Vic gasped, out of breath after most likely some sort of battle. Suddenly, a loud thump of something hitting the roof was heard and everyone jumped in surprise, staring up at the ceiling as if expecting something to come through at any minute.

"Ginny, what's going on?" Drew ran to his sister and clung to her side in fear, staring around as footsteps echoed on the roof.

"Caitlin, make sure they don't leave the house, no matter what! You'll be safe here!" Vic said, getting up and startling for the door.

"But what about you!" Caitlin yelled after him. Pausing, he threw her a half smile before saying, "I have a date with destiny, and she's getting impatient."

"Vic, NO!" Ginny screamed but it was too late, he was already out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Fate

Ginny ran toward the door, desperate to stop him as Caitlin held her back with all her strength.

"Ginny, you can't go out there!" Caitlin exclaimed.

"But Vic's gonna die! He's already hurt, he can't stand a chance against them!" Ginny cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Have faith in him, he's not as weak as you think! Besides, there's nothing we can do, we'd just be getting in the way."

"What's going on?! Why does Vic's arm look like that? And who's on the roof?!" Drew asked insistently, standing in front of his sister and looking up demandingly.

"Go hide in the toy room, Drew, it's safer in there!" Ginny commanded him, not really believing her own words but hoping he would listen to her for once.

"Both of you need to hide in there, come ON!" Caitlin got more serious, dislodging Ginny from her lock on the door and pulling her toward the hall. Just as they began their squabble, a chunk of the roof came flying off and landed in the street. With a scream, they all ran for the toy room, slamming the door shut and huddling among the plushies.

"What was that?!" Drew exclaimed, tears in his eyes as he clung to his sister in fear.

"I don't know…" Ginny sunk down onto the bed, her knees weak with fear. Suddenly, she stared up at Caitlin and said, "How are we going to be safe in here? That thing out there just ripped off the roof!"

"Why do you think there are so many posters on the wall?" Caitlin asked, lifting a wall scroll to reveal a detailed chalk marking on the wall underneath.

"It's an array!" Ginny gasped in awe.

"They're all over this room, protecting every inch of it from being destroyed."

"He knew…he knew it was going to come to this…but why would he bring us here? Why not make us stay away?"

"He didn't want to risk us being captured, he'd rather know where we are than worry if we're okay or not. We can't defend ourselves like he can." Caitlin sat down next to Ginny, a look of sympathy on her face.

"But…he can't do this alone…he's one man and he's not as young as he used to be, whatever's out there has him overpowered. We have to do something…I have to do something!" Ginny suddenly leapt off the bed and ripped the door open, slamming it shut behind her as she ran through the debris that was Vic's house. She spotted a gun case by his office and broke into it, pulling out a rifle locked inside. Quickly loading it and pocketing a couple rounds, she ran toward the door but just before she could open it, Vic came crashing through the ceiling, landing behind her in a pile of shingles.

"Vic!" Ginny hurried to him, kneeling next to his bruised and bleeding body to help him up.

"Ginny, get into…the room…" Vic gasped, weakly trying to stand but collapsing in her arms.

"No, you need help! I'm not going to leave you to die like this!" Ginny said, glancing around for signs of the enemy. Vic tried to protest and ended up in a coughing fit, moaning in pain with a grimace. Holding the rifle firmly in her hands, she crouched ready to defend Vic with her life. It was quiet for a moment, the sound of her pounding heart overwhelming her hearing as she listened hard for any signs of movement outside.

"Ginny…" Vic wheezed, reaching a shaky hand to her arm with wavering eyes staring intently at her.

"Stay still." She whispered. Unexpectedly, there was a crash overhead and shingles began to rain down on them as Ginny tried to aim at the sky.

"Edward, where'd you go? Come out and die like a man!" A booming voice rattled the walls, filling the air with hatred of a billion lost souls.

"Wh-who is that?" Ginny whispered, her hands beginning to shiver unsteadily.

"Dogma…" Vic said, staring up through the hole, still grimacing but not only because of his wounds. A blur passed overhead and Ginny let off a couple shots in its direction before falling over from the kick. Laughter echoed like a train speeding by as the monster seemed to fly around the house.

"Well, you sure showed me my place, I fear for my life! Hopefully your wits are sharper than your aim, woman!"

"Shut up!" Ginny screamed out, becoming quite cross with the homunculus.

"Don't listen to him, he's trying to make you mad." Vic said, sitting up a bit.

"Well it's working!" Ginny said angrily.

"Listen to me!" Vic shouted, grabbing her arm, "Do you remember when Ed and Roy fought in the anime?"

"No, I never saw it; I don't think this is the time to be reminiscing, Vic!" Ginny glanced at him in confusion as Dogma cackled outside.

"Ed lost the battle…I lost, because I let Roy's taunting get to me. You have to focus, don't let him break your focus for one second or…"

"Brave words for a coward!" Dogma mused outside in a smoothly evil voice.

I told you to shut up!" Ginny growled.

"Ginny, please!" Vic groaned, shivering with the agonizing pain coursing through his side.

"Vic, don't move, you'll bleed to death!"

"Forget about me, save yourself and the others…before…"

"No, I won't leave you!" Ginny exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"Ginny…"

"How touching! If you two get any sappier, I'm going to need a barf bag! You humans never cease to amuse me with your sentiment; always holding onto hope for the sake of having something positive to think about…thinking it'll change the fact that it'll never work out. Reminds me of one rainy day in Germany 60 years ago…you remember that day, don't you, Edward?" Vic didn't respond, his grip on Ginny's arm tightening as he fought to ignore his words. The voice outside sounded somewhat familiar to her but she didn't recognize it until he spoke again.

"Come now, how could you forget? 'Go, brother, take the stone and run, I'll cover you!' He never stood a chance…" Dogma quoted in Al's sweet voice before slipping back into his slimy, obnoxious tone.

"He…he knew what he was doing…" Vic muttered, his shivering intensifying.

"But did you? No…you waited an hour outside the compound for him to return. It wasn't until you heard the shots and screams that you realized you'd never see your brother again. Not a single worthless soul survived, all because Alphonse wouldn't surrender. Such a shame…those poor Germans…"

"Germans…?" Ginny muttered before realizing what he was talking about.

"Oh yes, those noble men fighting to rid the world of all the impurities and perfect the race of superhuman beings! Too bad their leader was a weak half-breed who rejected even his own heritage and tried to pretend like it wasn't true, couldn't handle all the pressure and lost the war. I've seen better leaders in modern society, that Castro is a fairly respectable tyrant…I might go say hi when I'm done here."

"I won't…listen…to you…" Vic growled through his teeth, determined not to give in to the anger and resentment building inside him.

"Funny, you've always been that way, Edward, no matter how many people died. The gypsy woman told you not to infiltrate the Nazi ranks but you did anyway, leading to her capture and eventual death because you couldn't blow your precious cover. Then your brother told you that it was too dangerous to keep the stone around, but you insisted that it would be safer to steal it and run. Such a disaster that the guards caught on to your little plan and Alphonse had to sacrifice himself for you. What's a few more loves after the thousands slaughtered for that stone, all those people and you couldn't save a single one…"

"It's…not my fault…" Vic muttered, his will to fight the torment slowly breaking.

"You and Alphonse were their only hope and you threw it all away just to fulfill your own selfish desire to have the stone…"

"No, that's not true!"

"You could have stopped them, saved the mongrels from their demises, prevented the stone from being made…but you didn't. Why, Edward?"

"I…" Vic stared blankly at the floor in empty shock, "I don't know…"

"It's because you wanted it, you wanted the power of the stone to get back to Shamballa so you could live in a world that you knew, your own world. You did want to go home, didn't you?"

"Yes…but…I…" Vic whispered.

"You could have gone home but you felt bad about causing so much death, how could you go back and tell everyone that you let your brother die so you could come back? No, you stayed here to rot away your years in solitude, looking for ways to make up for what you did. You know nothing will make up for it, even now you've put more lives in danger because you just won't give up the stone. When will you stop and think about what you're doing? You do love these people, don't you?"

"Yes…" Vic's grip on Ginny's arm began to loosen.

"As long as you're alive and you have that stone, no one will be safe. How many more must suffer before you come to your senses? You are the reason we are here, it's all…your…fault."

"My…fault…"

"Yes…"

"NO, don't listen to him, Vic! You know it's not your fault, you couldn't have stopped all those people by yourself! Vic! ED!" Ginny screamed, shaking him out of his stupor. She took his face in her hands and stared deep into his hazel eyes, saying passionately through a choked throat, "You couldn't have done anything to stop the events of the past, you're just one person against a whole host of evil plaguing this world. No one made you our savior, no one said you had to do it alone and no one's blaming you for anything that happened! You had to take the stone, Ed, those people died because of it, the least you can do is us it to take revenge on their murderers, on HIM!" She pointed to the roof where random taunting and laughter could be heard, "Don't just destroy it, don't let them have died in vain! You have to fight, for Al…for Vic…for me."

"For…you?" Vic blinked, his eyes begging her to give him the courage he lost.

"Yes, for me and the others who are backing you up a hundred percent on this. We don't want to see you suffer anymore because of things you couldn't control, please…don't give up yet. Let us help you if you can't do it alone, you don't have to fight alone…not anymore…"

"Ginny…I…I don't want to lose you…" Vic whispered, his heart torn between giving up and persevering.

"Then you know what you have to do." She said, gently helping him to his unsteady feet.

"Yes…I have to fight back. They died so that I could destroy Dogma and the evil he brought to this world with his bigotry and hatred, I can't let them down." Vic seemed to be gathering his strength back, his will to have his revenge strong enough to overpower his brainwashing.

"Don't be a fool, Edward, remember what happened to Vic when he tried to fight back…" Dogma hissed, lurking over the roof in anticipation of an attack.

"He knew what he had to do and chose his path, just like the others before him. Now I'm going to end this, once and for all." Vic replied, walking shakily over to a desk and opening one of the drawers, pulling out a blood red stone on a chain and hanging it around his neck. Turning to Ginny, they exchanged looks of understanding and she said, "I'll cover you."

"Thanks…now let's see if this'll work." Vic clapped his hands and touched one of the replica lightsabers sitting on a display nearby. With a flash of light, his alchemy consumed it and to their surprise, it came to life in his hands.

"Woah…" Ginny muttered in awe as Vic walked up to her.

"Yeah, Vic would have liked this…maybe I'll leave it for him when this is all over. Be careful and stay inside, only shoot if he tries to cone in…and don't shoot me." Vic said, listening to Dogma's movements to figure out where he was.

"I'll do my best…are you gonna be okay?" Ginny looked at his wounds warily, his clothes soaked in his blood.

"No." He gave her a gentle smile, "But thanks for your concern, sweetie." Quietly, he ducked into the kitchen to sneak out the back door and surprise Dogma from the rear. With one final look of longing to follow Vic, Ginny went to the front door and opened it, luring Dogma to leap forward and attack. Quickly bracing herself in a crouch against the wall, she aimed at the hole in the ceiling as Dogma flew over it. Letting off a couple more shots, she caught him in the leg just barely, just enough to make him angry. He proceeded to rip off another section of the roof in an attempt to uncover her and attack but she hid in the hallway before he could spot her.

"Looking for me, ugly??" Vic shouted as he leapt off the roof and took a swing at Dogma with the lightsaber, hacking off part of his wing that fell into the house with a sickening thud. Ginny stared up through the open ceiling just in time to see Dogma and Vic grappling in the sky. She'd never seen such a creature in her life, like a human with finger-like wings of flesh, swatting at Vic as he attacked viciously. Long rusted blonde hair whipped around in the air on Dogma's head, masking his face from view as Ginny watched the battle ensue. Finally, she realized why he had such a power over Vic's feelings: he looked just like his brother Alphonse.

"Oh Ed…how can you fight your own brother?" Ginny whispered, feeling sorry for what he must be going through. But then she thought about it and realized that it wasn't really him, Vic most likely reminding himself of that every second the battle raged on. Suddenly, Dogma caught Vic by the foot with his wing and flung him into the front yard where he tumbled limping through the grass. Gasping, Ginny leapt to her feet but stopped short of opening the door, remembering what he had told her.

"Face it, Edward, you don't stand a chance! You barely have the strength to breathe, let alone fight me, why not just give in now and save us both the trouble?" Dogma shouted arrogantly, the sound of a malevolent smile in his voice.

"Because…I have a job to do." Vic spate at him, blood dribbling down his chin as he crouched on the ground. With a clap of his hands, he touched the ground and seconds later, the grass flew from the ground like a wall of needles, slicing into and through Dogma's body. With a howl, he tried to retreat but Ginny was ready. With all her strength, Ginny let off a volley of bullets into the sky and right through Dogma's frail wings, bringing him crashing down into the living room. Mercilessly, Ginny stood over his quivering body and took aim, saying coldly, "This is for Vic." With no hesitation, she shot him in the head, ending his life and the torturous reign he held in the world. Seconds later, his body disappeared into the floor, leaving no sign of his evil self as Ginny dropped the gun and panted heavily. Coughing rung out from the yard and she suddenly remembered Vic, hurrying out to kneel by his side.

"Vic, it's over, he's dead!" Ginny said happily, laughing with tears in her eyes. She held him in her arms and he smiled, whispering, "That's great…you did well, Ginny. I'm…I'm glad I got to know you."

"Don't talk like that, Vic. I'm gonna get an ambulance and they'll come and take care of you, just hang on a little longer." Ginny said, choking up inside.

"I've lived a good life, Ginny, I'm not afraid of dying…again. Who knows, maybe this time I'll go home for sure and be with all my friends…and Al…" Vic coughed weakly.

"No, I don't want you to die, not yet! I…I need you, Vic! Please don't go…" She sobbed, her heart pounding as she began to panic, "CAITLIN!! HELP!!"

"Ginny…you've been a good friend to me, can you do one…last thing for me?" He looked up at her with his eyes sparkling with tears and hope.

"Anything, Vic…" Ginny sniffed.

"Help me into the backyard…please." He struggled to support himself on her shoulder as she helped him to his feet. Caitlin came running out just then and hurried to help support Vic's weight, saying, "Oh no, Vic…"

"Just…get me to the backyard…" Vic muttered, struggling to walk with them but dragging his feet and slipping in the blood that dripped on the ground. They hurried as fast as they could through the house to the backyard where they laid him in the center of the grass. They helped him to sit up and he said weakly, "Caitlin, can you tell everyone…tell them I said goodbye?"

"Sure thing." Caitlin said, knowing better than to argue with him at this point.

"Ginny…I want you to know that…I will always be watching over you. You've had a hard life but don't be like me, don't give up. Never stop being the sweet girl that you are…" Vic said softly, touching her face briefly and leaving a streak of blood behind.

"Vic…" Ginny gasped, too overwhelmed to respond. He fumbled with the stone in an attempt to pull it off and Caitlin did it for him, placing it in his hands.

"I…I want to give you something before I go, something I think you need more than me. Please…get into the house and don't come back out until it's over." Vic said, sitting up and holding himself limply upright.

"But…" Ginny tried to protest but Caitlin pulled her to her feet, leading her toward the house. They stood in the doorway and held onto each other tightly, watching as Vic weakly clapped his hands together and slowly touched them to the ground. A bright ring of light burned up through the grass, steadily growing brighter until they could no longer watch him. Seconds later, the light faded and when they looked back, Vic was laying in the yard completely healed and naked. Cautiously, Ginny stepped out into the yard and walked over to him, kneeling at his side and touching his shoulder.

"V-Vic?" She whispered. With a moan, he raised his head and looked up at her, blinking vacantly and saying, "What…what happened?" Just then, Caitlin came running out with a blanket and threw it over him as he sat up. He stared at her in surprise as he looked around, saying, "Caitlin, what am I doing in my backyard? And…why am I naked?"

"Don't you remember?" Ginny asked, "You fought Dogma and then came out here and…"

"Dogma?" Vic asked in confusion. It was then that Ginny realized what Ed had done. With a gasp, she covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

"You…you're Vic…" Ginny whispered. He stared at her curiously before saying, "Yes, I am. Do…I know you?"

"Yes…and no…I think we have a lot to tell you." Ginny said, glancing at Caitlin as she cried too.

"I suppose so, I'm really confused." Vic said as he got up, holding the sheet around himself as they walked back to the house, "First of all…what happened to my house?" Caitlin and Ginny exchanged looks before Ginny said, "The fate of all humanity, that's what."

The End.


End file.
